This lively, lavishly illustrated volume presents rare decorative
arts from Asia - all of exceptional quality - from ornate handled
daggers and exquisite silver fi ligree boxes to diamond-studded
jewels, magnifi cent embroidered silk and divination bowls by
master craftsmen. The decorative arts of South and Southeast Asia,
and especially those of the 18th and 19th centuries, and trade
items produced during the same period, constitute a much neglected
area. Such items, which in a Europeanized context tend to be
labelled objets de vertu, are under-represented in public and
private collections. While the decorative arts of later Western
Europe and North America might be strongly represented, when it
comes to South and Southeast Asia, there is a bias towards the
ancient, the religious and the sculptural. And yet the decorative
arts of Asia of recent centuries is a more accessible and tangible
fi eld for many. The relative attractiveness of more recent Asian
decorative arts, for which provenance issues need not be so acute,
grows as the movement of archaeological and other early material
across international borders becomes evermore complex and
problematic, be it for commercial or for exhibition purposes.
Seeking to redress the balance, this volume presents objects of
exceptional quality that are often incredibly rare - ranging from
ornate handled daggers and exquisite silver fi ligree boxes to
diamond-studded jewels and magnifi cent embroidered silk. Only some
of these objects were made for religious reasons, and, though old,
few are ancient. Instead, they are the product of cultural infl
uences that have crossed borders, produced in the quest for beauty.
The catalogue also includes a selection of items usually designated
as 'tribal' art. Many of these have a decorative as much as a
ritualistic component. Among the objects from Nigeria are a
stunning 19th-century processional staff , topped with the figure
of a queen, two museum-quality divination bowls carved by master
craftsmen, and a striking and possibly unique fi ve-headed dance
costume. Most have been sourced from old UK and European
collections, and most are likely to have been collected during the
colonial era. This is important. Overwhelmingly, most 'tribal' art
items available commercially today are reproduction pieces and have
no place in serious collections. Michael Backman is widely
published on Asian culture, art and politics. He is the author of
six books that cover all aspects of Asia. His Asian Eclipse was
named by The Economist among its 'Books of the Year' and appeared
on several bestseller lists. His gallery in central London
specializes in works of art from India, Southeast Asia, Central
Asia, the Himalayas, the Islamic World, and Colonial and Tribal
art. The gallery sells to museums and important private collections
across the world.
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